My friend had packed his bags, and he was all set for his flight the next morning. It would be his first time traveling to South-East Asia, and I had dropped by to see him off. We sat for a while talking excitedly about all the adventures that awaited him.

It was a good question. When I first started out traveling there was this saying that if you can’t afford travel insurance, then you can’t afford to travel. Since then I have seen way too many people get into trouble because of a lack of insurance, not to realize how true that is.

Travel insurance is the number ONE thing you need to buy before traveling.

If you just want to skip to the end of this story, you can get a quote from our favorite travel insurance provider World Nomads below:

What Is Travel Insurance?

Travel Insurance is financial security against accidents that may happen on your trip. It will provide you with medical coverage if you get sick or injured on your journey, reimburse you if your new iPhone gets stolen or your flight gets canceled, or if a family member dies and you need to go home. It’s protection against those emergencies that can come out of nowhere and cost you dearly if you are not prepared.

Since most health programs will not cover you overseas and credit cards often provide minimum protection, buying a good travel insurance is a no-brainer.

Why Buy Travel Insurance?

I can’t speak for others, but I can tell you why I never travel without travel insurance.

For me, it’s peace of mind knowing that if I do get sick I do not run the risk of potentially running up huge medical bills and that there will be someone there to pick up the tab if I get unlucky and need to go to the hospital.

It means that I can do the activities that I love like skiing, surfing, diving, and kitesurfing without worrying about the financial consequences of an accident.

Us skiing in the midnight sun in Tromso, Norway

It means that there is someone I can call if I am in the middle of Cambodia with malaria symptoms, who will tell me what hospital I should go to or even more importantly which ones I should avoid.

And if my bags get lost or stolen, at least I know I haven’t lost everything. I have someone to call that can help me with some emergency money if all my credit cards and money are stolen.

If I’m Only Going To Cheap Countries Like Thailand, do I Need Travel Insurance?

Sorry to break it to you but inexpensive countries don’t mean affordable medical care. Thailand, for instance, is among the world’s most expensive countries to get hospitalized in. And if you do get sick in some remote part of South East Asia chances are you may need to be airlifted to Bangkok or Singapore for proper treatment. That stuff is crazy expensive.

And it gets worse, in some countries like for instance Japan, hospitals can refuse to treat you if you can’t show a valid travel insurance!

Have You Guys Used Your Travel Insurance?

Yes! Thankfully not for anything major, but our travel insurance has paid for itself many times over. Like when our brand new Nikon DSLR camera got stolen on new years eve in Bangkok! Oh, what a fun new years eve that was at the Bangkok police station.

Or when Maria got salmonella poisoning after having had a dodgy chicken meal at a night market in Thailand and had to be put on intravenous fluids.

Honestly, if you think you can save money by not getting a travel insurance then you are playing Russian roulette with your health and financial future. It’s the one thing you need to have and hope you never need to use.

Is Travel Insurance Expensive?

The price can vary depending on your age, medical history, where you are going, how long you will be traveling for and what you planning to do during your trip. Activities like hiking in Nepal, which is considered a high-risk activity with potentially enormous costs for medical evacuation, will for instance often add a bit to the price of an insurance.

But on average, for a regular travel insurance, we are just talking a few dollars per day. Less than you spend on a smoothie, a coffee at Starbucks or a beer!

What To Look For In A Travel Insurance?

Not all travel insurance are created equal. Make sure you read the fine print of your policy. I can only tell you what we look for and you will have to decide for yourselves. We look for a travel insurance that:

Has sufficient coverage to pay for any medical expenses. Typically at least 100.000 USD, preferably more.

Covers both injury and sudden illness

Will cover emergency evacuation and care, so if I get injured on a trek in the jungle, it will cover the expenses to get me to the hospital.

Will pay for transportation back home to my own country if necessary

Includes the activities that I enjoy. If you think you might do a scuba diving course then make sure your insurance covers you for that. Sometimes you need to purchase extra coverage for more extreme activities like kitesurfing or horseback riding.

Covers the countries I want to visit. Make sure your insurance covers you in high-cost countries like Japan and the US if you are traveling there.

Can be extended while traveling if my travel plans change

Covers my most important valuables should they get lost or stolen

Has a twenty-four-hour emergency contact number I can call to get help

Cover cancellations if myself or a family member get sick and we can’t travel after all

Covers any political unrest or emergency situations that may result in the trip getting cut short

Claims can be filed online

Is reasonably priced

Snorkeling with manta rays in Komodo National Park, Indonesia

What A Travel Insurance Is Not

Travel insurance is not a license to behave like an idiot. In fact, if you get injured because you were incredibly reckless then you might find that your travel insurance may refuse to cover you. For instance, you can’t drive a motorcycle while under the influence of alcohol and expect to be covered. Also, any third party damage you cause is often not covered.

Some insurances will refuse to cover adventurous activities, and their definition of adventurous can vary a lot. Read the policy carefully so you are sure you know what it will and won’t cover.

Which Travel Insurance Should I Get?

There are tons of companies offering travel insurance. We have traveled for a long time and have researched a lot of travel insurance providers over the years.

Our favorite is World Nomads. We have used them several times over the last ten years and have been very happy with them. Their customer service is in our experience top notch, the insurance can be bought and extended online while traveling, and it covers quite a few of our favorite adventurous activities.

World Nomads is also the travel insurance recommended by Lonely Planet and National Geographics.

Btw, if you’re wondering what happened to my backpacker friend, he bought a travel insurance before he left and thankfully he never had to use it. But he said he slept a whole lot better knowing he was covered if anything should happen.

You can use the widget below to find a plan for your trip:

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